Day 4 – Afternoon of the 4th of June, The Witches Old Town Tour and Underground Vaults
We had a very knowledgeable and funny guide take us through the hot spots and offer us a bit of history as we hoofed about the cobblestone streets with eleven other tour members. Yes, there were thirteen of us in what our guide called her “coven for the day.” And according to her, it was quite on accident not a scheduling goal.
History about the Witch’s Well. When I wrote about this the other day, I noted how it was difficult to find, tucked away in a corner, and used by people to rest even though it is a memorial. When the tour arrived, these two people just sat there, even when she pointed out it was a memorial and began her talk.
We meandered through the closes (alley ways) and down, down, down into the belly of the city. Here we learned about how the vaults had been used for living quarters, jail cells, and then buried and forgotten for years. The bar below is part of the whisky tour, but we went through it and got a bit of history as well. This was the cell where they would lock up people who were too drunk to be in public. Only fitting it became a whisky bar.
The map is an image of the vaults in their heyday.
A local vault resident:
A reminder of the Black Plague.
And once the tour was gone, we headed off to find Waverly Station, grab some lunch, and wait for the train to Dunfermline Abbey.
Day 4 – 4th of June, 2024 Life in Edinburgh
We started the day off with a jaunt down to the corner for breakfast. Allie and David were more adventurous and experienced the traditional Scottish Breakfast. Jo and I had breakfast sandwiches and Anthony had pancakes. We brought it home and ate in our lovely BnB kitchen, which is still my favorite room.
After that, David and I headed off into the city, taking the bus on our own, which we are sure unnerved Allie a bit. I felt like a kid on their first day of school and she was the fretting mother. But we made it to the Witches and Vault tour which I am blogging separately, and then had lunch a a very cool Scottish Pub. After that we grabbed the bus and headed to Dunfermline Abbey on St. Margaret Street in Dunfermline, which will also have it’s own blog.
We were warned about the city’s seven hills and that there was a lot of up and down walking in Edinburgh. They weren’t kidding.
Before heading out from Waverly Station, we ate burgers drank (I had a lager and David had his favorite Scotland Drink, Irn Bru) at the Malt Shovel Inn, which was just a short walk from the bus depot.
And then we were off!
Day 3 – 3rd of June, 2024 – The Witches Well Memorial
If you look at the image above the planter, there is an old hag on the left and a young beautiful maiden on the right. They are divided by a snake, which represents the goodness of healing and the evil of the devil. The young woman represents the healer and the hag represents the evil witch. On the side of the planter, confirming this belief was the hands of healing image seen below. On the side of the hag is The Evil Eye. All of this perpetuates the idea and concept of a witch being evil still carried out to this very day. When in reality they are the same.
After all the glamor and glory and opulence and wealth of Edinburgh Castle as it commands the skyline behind the departing visitors as they step down the cobblestone road heading toward more opulence, more wealth, more grandeur to be found on the Royal Mile in all the shops and bars and attractions, to the left, along the stoned wall side of a shop wall so easily overlooked as it nearly blends in with the stone and mortar, is a relatively tiny tribute to honor nearly 4,000 women (mostly) persecuted unjustly for practicing witchcraft as decreed on the 4th of June in 1563.
Yes, that is a run on sentence and it is meant to be. I want your breath to be taken away as mine was when I looked on this relatively tiny marker that marks such a huge travesty in time.
We’d just visited the Scottish War Memorial where more than 135,000 Scotsman, rightfully so, were honored for the loss of their lives defending their country throughout the 1900s while fighting and defending their Queen. I take nothing away from that heart wrenching tribute. But it was huge. A huge building with stained glass and plaques and leather bound books on display marked “DO NOT TOUCH.” It’s so sacred and revered that tourists are forbidden to take photographs.
In fact, normally something I reference would have a picture to go with the topic presented. I have a picture of it and with all due respect to the service men who gave their lives (and equally due respect to the people persecuted as witches) I choose not to post the war memorial photo here in this blog because it will be in the Edinburgh Castle recap. It has enough attention. And too little attention is given to the Witches Memorial as it is.
We left the castle looking for the Witches Memorial as the first thing on our list. But after we’d gone a bit of a distance down the hill, way after we’d passed it, Allie doubled back with GPS to find it. Without modern day GPS we probably would have never seen it.
The mass of people filing back and forth up and down that hill, stopping to snap photos and selfies on the very spot when so many lives were lost in execution -senseless and wrong execution- makes the Witches Memorial very difficult to spot. In fact, when we found it there was a man and a woman leaning against it with their backs to it, discussing the castle. We waited momentarily, with our cameras poised, hoping to indicate to them that we wanted to take a picture of something, but they didn’t catch on. Finally Allie said, “Excuse me, this is a memorial.” And they looked bewildered and a bit annoyed (bloody Americans!) as they moved away, never stopping to ask or read or recognize the magnitude of what this represented or to find out why it was so important to us.
Why am I belaboring the seemingly inconsequentiality of the Witches Memorial? Why even bother? Because the placement, the lack of reverence, the disrespect, even the wording itself though I’m sure was meant as a kind gesture, is demeaning to all the people who needlessly were accused, tortured, and/or murdered under false accusations as the result of a proclamation deeming them evil.
As if to cover all bases, the Memorial, sculpted by John Duncan in 1894 -which is described as a drink well but is actually a planter- reflects the hesitancy of that era to apologize for the unjust treatment of the mostly women persecuted. It points out the fact they were practicing witchcraft, that some even made a pact with a devil. No where does it say they were wrongfully accused, murdered, stripped of their dignity, lives, names. No where does it express remorse or reflects the pain and suffering endured for NO REASON except they were women.
It doesn’t even mark the spot where these women were strangled and burned. That area is the Castle esplanade, the huge area leading up to the gatehouse, which currently is being prepared for an annual Tattoo of pipes and drums (if I understand it correctly), lined with bleachers where thousands of spectators will watch. Where thousands will view this musical performance in the very spot where thousands stood over a few centuries, watching as women were strangled and burned to their deaths. No markers even speculate where the exact location is. But it’s there, trampled over and forgotten by millions of people every year.
The same disrespect and disregard these women faced at the end of their lives is still being directed at their memory today. Overlooked and oppressed.
They were women in a man’s world. They were healers, lovers, teachers, mothers, grandmothers, daughters living their lives for others.
And they were murdered in the name of oppression, power, greed by men and people who professed to be people of God, holy people, purging their country of sin and evil, when in fact they were the ones who were evil.
Tuesday evening I will be at the Dunfermline Abbey on St. Margaret’s Street in Dunfermline, where the names of the nearly 4,000 persecuted will be read in their honor.
Many thanks goes out to The Creative Coven, Rowan Morrison, and all the other women who put this together in honor of the women whose lives were so needlessly lost.
Day 3 – 3rd of June, 2024
Edinburgh Castle, Princess Street, Old Town
Today we checked out the sights around Edinburgh and visited the Castle where I learned quite a bit about the history of Scotland. To be honest, I loved the people watching and taking in the architecture of the city better than I liked the castle. All I kept thinking about while touring the castle was how much money had gone into building it, and how the royal family are supposed to be chosen by God and if that’s so why are they allowed to have all that money while their subjects were so impoverished and throwing their poop and pee into the streets. (Gardyloo!)
There were so many street performers and the tour guides were fascinating even if you weren’t part of the tours. There was so much to see and do and experience, there was never a dull moment. I didn’t even know I’d walked six miles in one day until my health app told me at the end of the night.
The castle is beautiful and something indeed to be proud of. It makes a lot of money for the city and people of Scotland, and that’s great. I guess the history of it is a depressing reminder that Scotland’s people lost their independence and the right to stay in the castle their Kindg Edward 1st built in 1103. By 1603 King Charles was the last king to occupy this castle. It is very grand, and very beautiful. And the architect is stunning and mindblowing when you think of every cobblestone laid, every brick set in place, every turret sculpted and doorway molded and formed from stone and brick.
Not to mention it’s built on a volcano!
Afterwards we visited the local shops, stopped for a quick bite to eat at a Kurdish restaurant, shopped some more, then met up with Jo and Ant for dinner at an Italian restaurant called Jolly’s. It was jam-packed on a Monday night and after our meals we realized why. Freaking delish!
It’s been a whirlwind vacation, but worth every step and every breath. I hope you’re enjoying my updates!
I forgot to mention I’ve been getting in as many flat whites as possible. YUM!
Slàinte Mhath!
Day 3 – 3rd of June, 2024, St. Margaret’s Chapel
My personal story, one that will be reservved for another time, began at St. Margaret of Scotland’s Parish, Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, in Selden, Long Island, New York, back in 1971.
Today, the 3rd of June, 2024, I was able to pay meet this saint who played a very important part of my childhood. I stood in her chapel and introduced myself, and the veils of time and man-made religion fell away for the moment.
St. Margaret of Scotland was known for her charitable works with the poor, which is ironic because my story and connection to her revolves around a childhood where we were not well off, we struggled financially, and looking back now I’d say we were poor.
She established churches and monasteries, and founded the Royal Mausoleum at the Dunfermline Abbey- which is crucial to the telling my personal story as well. After her death in 1093, her body was entombed at Dunfermline. Her son, King David I built the chapel in 1130 in her honor, and more than 100 years later in 1250, Pope Innocent IV made her a saint.
Her chapel withstood countless sieges, and eventually had been all but forgotten about after being used to store guns and ammunition. Eventually the building was reclaimed and restored. Royal families congregated and prayed here. When Mary Queen of Scots was preparing to give birth in 1566, she had St. Margaret’s head placed in a gilded shrine and brought from the Dunfermline Abbey to protect her Queen Mary during the birth of her child who went on to become King James VI.
Day 2- 2nd of June, 2024
Weaving Creative Threads in Remembrance of the Scottish Witch Hunts
On this day a group of powerful, healing, determined, reverent women gathered with conviction to do what I have been trying to do my whole life – honor and heal the concept of The Witch.
Their effort brought me and my family 3,500 miles from our home to be a part of it. I had to—The Universe has led me to this point in my life.
We wound our way to the Scottish Storytelling Centre on High Street for a very full day of workshops and love and laughter.
The day began with a song that my family and I learned over two decades ago, and it was the absolute affirmation I was in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason. Rowan welcomed us and then introduced to a woman (I’ll confirm her name with Rowan later) who sang The Burning Times, a song about the trials and tribulations of the women who were accused, persecuted, tortured and murdered by the church for practicing witchcraft, cohorting with the devil, hexing people. When in fact, they were healers, teachers, lovers, mothers, daughters, aunts, grannies, all of whom were just living and loving with all of their hearts.
It made me teary-eyed, listening to her voice, singing the song that has filled my world from the moment I acknowledged I was indeed A Witch, and this time, this lifetime, no one was going to silence me. Ever Again.
The day was filled with song, laughter, tears, stories of horror. But what I took away from it the most was non-judgmental love and absolute healing.
We even got to meet Auld Horney, the Masterpiece created by Katie Bremer.
Rowan Morrison and her Creative Coven are a group of women who stand unwavering in their determination to right the wrongs done to their ancestors. And I was humbled to be a part of their journey. A heart full of thanks goes out to each one of you who pulled this together, and to all of you who attended and embraced me as a part of this reclamation that means so much to me on a level I cannot express for so many reasons. Mostly out of respect for all of you. Each and every one of you have changed my life.
I was honored to play a very small part in this day filled with education, mourning, celebration, healing. I shared the stage with two other poets, Marianne L. Berghuis and Janet Wemyss whose words moved me and inspired me. David filmed the entire poetry session and that will be uploaded to my Youtube channel soon. So look for the link in the near future. (Thanks, David!)
There were artists, performers, storytellers and more- so much witch energy and love that I didn’t want it to end.
The programme began at 10:30 and after Joss Cameron sang her moving rendition of The Burning Times, we were introduced to Scott Richardson who spoke about the De’il in the Butter Churn. He raised the interesting question about why was the devil associated with women churning butter churn when it was the men who were out there waging war and killing?
At noon we stayed for Rowan’s workshop The Unknown Witch, during which she led us on a remarkable journey to the shores of North Berwick and gave us the opportunity to connect with a soul who had passed. This is who I met:
Here are images created by Allie, David, Anthony, myself, and Jolene. All of these have been contributed to The Unknown Witch Exhibit, which honors the 625 women without names who were persecuted for practicing witchcraft as of June 4, 1563.
The day drew to a close after Joss once more shared her gift of music accompanied by Amy Dudley on the harp.
I was honored to share the stage with two very eloquent and moving poets, Marianne L. Berghuis and Janet Wemyss. Here is a video of our readings.
Thank you, Rowan, for including me in this very special, very important event.
https://youtu.be/lp11W5v3WHY?si=wKBJQPw5b5lW_C0Y
I have so many more pictures of the day to upload, but I’ve got to get moving.
Today we are off to tour Edinburgh Castle. Believe it or not, I get the same feeling of trepidation I get when I think about visiting Salem, Massachusetts. I wonder what we will uncover today.
Have a great day everyone! I hope you enjoyed my adventure so far!
Day 2- Sunday 2nd of June, 2024
-A quick perusal of The Royal Mile
(If that’s possible!)
Today was a good day to start off with a proper cuppa tea and crumpets with strawberry jam! I love waking up early, and Edinburgh is the perfect place to do that because the sun’s been rising about 4:30 each morning.
I also love staying up late, and Edinburgh is the perfect place to do that also as the sun doesn’t set lately until after 10 p.m.
I am definitely in my element. Does anyone really need more than four hours sleep?
I spent the morning blogging before we headed out to the Weaving Creative Threads in Remembrance of the Scottish Witch Hunts event held at the Scottish Storytellers Centre on High Street in Edinburgh.
David and I hit the road first, walking up to the corner to catch a bus which took us almost to where we had to go. We checked out the shops as we meandered to the Centre, bought a couple a trinkets, and by then the Centre had opened and in we went.
At this point I’m going to share how our day went AFTER this amazing program, as there is way too much to touch upon and I want to honor the experience for all of its reverence and beauty.
After the event, we were all famished, so we deliberated over three contenders, The Advocate, The Devil’s Advocate, and The Piper’s Rest. We tried picking numbers for the winner, but unfortunately we all have the same favorite numbers. So after a few tries we found ourselves drinking local lager and imbibing in other yummy drinks and foods at The Piper’s Rest.
The food was yummy and we actually tried HAGGIS! I didn’t quite look like the haggis I’ve read and heard about, but you know it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. (Sorry, spoken like a true American). I put it right up there with my vegemite experience in Sydney, Australia.
I ordered a pub burger and Caledonia, and we all shared a Haggis tower. It was yummy! I had to dismantle it to eat it with the others helping to consume the dismantled bits.
After dinner we decided to walk off the yumminess, and so we did what tourists do when they come to Scotland. We walked the Royal Mile. I did a lot of people watching, and I feel a poem brewing with hopefully the flavor of Scotland at its core. That will come later (of course).
Here are some sites to see so you can get an idea of how we spent our day.
Familiar theme since leaving Herkimer. Lots of B&/NB’s! 
It was a long day, and by the time we did some site seeing both my battery on my phone was about worn out as were my old dogs (footsies). But we made the trek back to our BnB where we literally crashed in the living room, completely worn out from our adventure.
But that’s okay, because we still have a lot of adventuring left to do! One thing is for sure, I’ve found a piece of my heart in Scotland.
1st Day- Saturday, 1st of June, 2024
Our Trip and First Day in Scotland!
Good morning, from the kitchen of our AirBnb, located on Gayfield Square, in Edinburgh.
Here is my text blog (since my previous attempt to share my adventure didn’t work out so well.
Allie, Anthony, and Jolene convened at our house on Friday, where we loaded up the car and headed downstate to JFK. David got us there without incident (super job, my love!) and we were boarded and on our way in no time. (Thanks, James, for our group shot!)
Once we arrived in JFK things happened pretty quickly and before we knew it we were airborn and Scotland Bound.
DELTA was an amazing experience, and I remembered why I like flying them so much.
We slept (a tiny bit) then when I woke up I saw the moon had been guiding us throughout the night. The picture doesn’t do her justice.
I woke up and saw this and here are my thoughts.
The moon
I followed the moon
Across the pond
With a sleepless blink
And a wave of my wand
It was done.
We left at night
And arrived by day
And throughout the journey
The moon led the way
Telling countless tales
Of yesterdays
Of starry skies
And a cobalt sea
Janine
1st of June 2024
Jeremiah’s Taproom offered our first meal and pints in Edinburgh. I had (of course) Fish and chips and a lager. I couldn’t understand what the name of it was, but the kindly barkeep recommended it, and I was not disappointed!
After we ate we headed back to our flat, with a quick stop at a grocer to pick up snacks and drinks!
I ended the evening in my favorite room of the flat, the kitchen. It’s bright and sunny and conducive to writing.
Now I’ve got to get my brekky (crumpets and tea!) and get ready for today’s event at the Scottish Storytellers Centre – the reason why we are here.
I’ll post more later tonight or tomorrow!
In the meantime, have a happy Sunday!
Slàinte! (Cheers, in Scot Gaelic)
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Janina Grey 